[4] The plant grows in coniferous forests and shady, moist habitats of the coastal chaparral scrub.

Collinsia multicolor is an annual herb producing a delicate, slender stem 30 to 60 centimeters tall.

The upper parts of the stem are hairy and sticky with glands.

The oppositely arranged leaves are triangular lance-shaped with serrated edges, each pair clasping the stem where they meet.

This plant was first described by the English architect Joseph Paxton in association with John Lindley.